The faculty members will present their illustrated edition of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “A Knight’s Tale” at 2:30 p.m. in Regents Suite A of the Baker Pattillo Student Center. The books were assembled in SFA’s fine arts press, the LaNana Creek Press, which Jones directs.

Jones said Guidry first approached him two years ago with the idea of creating a more authentic version of the classic story.

“What he suggested is that we look at what the text actually says and create images that are closer to what Chaucer intended,” Jones said.

Jones said most versions of “A Knight’s Tale” are romanticized and based in the medieval time period. However, the original story was set in Ancient Greece.

Dr. Guidry produced a CD of dramatic readings from the tale in Chaucer’s Middle English dialect and wrote a commentary for the book discussing how the Knight’s Tale presents a complex view of chivalric love and warfare that refuses to glorify these subjects.

News and Announcements

The collection of over 6,000 azaleas in the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is nearing peak bloom, so expect to see lots of color in the next two weeks. Of particular interest is the deciduous azalea planting in four of the beds of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden—come visit and experience the bright yellow, white and orange blooms on small trees. Each year the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau schedules tours for tourists through our SFA Gardens. This year 24 groups will see the azalea garden in its varying states of bloom—from camellias and deciduous magnolias to the current azalea bloom period. This has also been a spectacular year for Japanese maples. We have over 220 varieties of these ornamental trees, many of which were selected for their unusual branching habit or their spring colors of reds, oranges and lime greens. For more information about SFA Gardens, please contact sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

The SFA Campus Recreation Department is hosting six, one-week “Little Jack Rec Camp” during June and July for children between the ages of five and 12. Sessions will be June 14 to 18, June 21 to 25, June 28 to July 2, July 12 to 16, July 19 to 23 and July 26 to 30. The camp will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find out more about registration fees.

Lumberjacks for Life is sponsoring a campus-wide Diaper Drive Monday, April 5, until Friday, April 9. If you donate, you can enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Hastings, Barnes & Noble or Walmart! All sizes of diapers are needed and all donations directly benefit SFA parenting students. Donations can be dropped of in the Involvement Center located in the Student Center. Groups, organizations, departments, fraternities and sororities who decide to donate together are recommended to bring their donations at 2 p.m. Friday, April 9, in the commons room located on the third floor of the Student Center. If you have any questions or know of any SFA parents or pregnant students who would benefit from this drive, please e-mail lumberjacksforlife@yahoo.com.

NEW! Are you Spring Cleaning, but you don't want to just throw away those reusable household items such as couches, chairs, appliances, beds, etc.? Donate them to a local family in need through the Encourager Program Furniture Drive through Love in the Name of Christ. As a service learning project, social work students are spearheading the collection of goods for a family in the area. Volunteers and trucks/trailers are also needed for delivery. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at Love, INC. located at 917 Ruby St. in Nacogdoches. You can drop off donations before or on April 10! If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Angela Kirk at (936) 569-8555.

NEW! Stephen F. Austin State University’s Early Childhood Lab and the Greater East Texas Community Action Program Head Start invite Nacogdoches County to come together to kick off the national Week of the Young Child, April 12-16, honoring young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives. The fifth annual Family Fun Day will be hosted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 10, in Festival Park in downtown Nacogdoches. The free, community-wide event will offer many fun-filled activities for children and families to do together. Read more about Week of the Young Child.

Don’t forget! Student Employee Appreciation Week is April 11 to 17. During this week please make your student workers feel appreciated! (Suggestions: a party, a meal, goodie bags, etc.) Choose some way to make them feel special! Also, if you wish to nominate that one outstanding student worker for “Student Employee of the Year,” the nomination deadline is Thursday, April 15. If you need a nomination form or would like more information about this competition/recognition, please contact the office of Student Employment at 468-6637 or e-mail studentemployment@sfasu.edu.

A screening of the movie“I.O.U.S.A.” will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, April 12, in SFA’s Kennedy Auditorium. This critically acclaimed movie examines the issues of the national debt and budget deficit relying on expert testimony and ordinary citizens. Following the movie, Jeffery Thiebert of the nonpartisan, Washington, D.C., based Concord Coalition will discuss the movie's themes and topics. The event is sponsored by the American Democracy Project at SFA, the Department of Government, the Office of the Provost and the Student Government Association and is part of "Debt Week: Spring 2010” at SFA. Find out more about "Debt Week."

Join the A-Team's activities for Alcohol Awareness Month. Every Tuesday during April from noon to 2 p.m. in front of Panda Express, there will be presenters giving information on alcohol and its effects. A representative from TABC on Tuesday, April 13, will be available to answer questions on the laws. A representative from Nacogdoches Safe and Drug Free on Tuesday, April 20, will be available to answer questions on basic alcohol information. Student representatives from the Counseling Department will have information on alcohol relevant to college students on Tuesday, April 27. For more information, please contact Nicole Preston at (936) 468-2401.

Please join us for a tropical evening of fun and friendship as we Party in Paradise at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, at Shelley’s Bakery downtown to support the University Women’s Club scholarships. While enjoying Shelley’s wonderful menu of Caribbean cuisine you’ll be treated to the relaxing island sounds the SFA Steel Drum Band as well as door prizes from area businesses. Seating is limited, and tickets are $35. Seating for four or limited seating for six is available. Proceeds go to the UWC scholarship fund. To reserve your seat, please contact Jana Redfield at jredfield@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-6261, or Chay Runnels at runnelsc@sfasu.edu or ( 936) 468-2060. For more information about this event please contact Runnels.

NEW! The Educational Leadership Doctoral Program in the Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership at SFA is a 66 credit hour doctoral program that provides an opportunity for an emphasis in Higher Education Administration. The application deadline is Thursday, April 15, for classes that begin this June. Read more about this program and to download applications and fliers.

NEW! The SFA Gardens will host its monthly Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, in the Agriculture Building, Room 110. Mark Krautman, owner of Heritage Seedlings, will present "Searching the World for New Plants." Read more about Krautman.

It’s time for Brown Bag Blast 2010! Please join us for lunch, brown bag that is, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 16, in the Wyatt Room of Steen Library. Take an opportunity to break away from your regular lunch routine and share in a lively discussion about...What’s Cool – Or Not – In Your Blackboard Course? Oh--dessert is on us, and you may be the lucky winner of some of our fabulous door prizes, too!

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs and the Teaching Excellence Center will present “Week of Reflection,” Monday, April 26, to Friday, April 30. The week will feature a number of events that are designed to help students consider what they have learned at SFA this year and how it has changed them. Please download the poster and post where students can view. Each day has a reflection theme. Students are encouraged to think about their development in that area using a reflection guide that provides guiding questions. Download the self-guided reflection sheet. For faculty who want to engage in reflection during their courses that week, the Teaching Excellence Center has produced a Reflection Guide with suggestions for interactive activities that are suitable for a number of different disciplines. Find out more about this event.

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The Original Cast, SFA’s musical theatre-cabaret troupe, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with Almost Legal.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, through Saturday, April 10, plus a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. All performances will be in the Downstage Theatre of the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus.

The 14-member cast will perform highlights from the 20 years’ worth of original musical revues director Allen Nielsen has written for the group.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for seniors, SFA faculty and staff and students.

Friday, April 9Artist Judy Pfaff, juror for TEXAS NATIONAL 2010, will give an artist lecture from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 160 of the Wright Music Building. Admission is free.

Saturday, April 10
Opening reception for TEXAS NATIONAL 2010 and Judy Pfaff: Drawings and Printsfrom 5 to 7 p.m. at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St. Juror Judy Pfaff will give a gallery talk and announce the TEXAS NATIONAL 2010 winners at 6 p.m.

ONGOING (Week of March 29-April 2)Samuel Rothbort now on display in Griffith Gallery, Room 208 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building. The exhibition of paintings and sculptures by the renowned artist marks the first time SFA has displayed the collection of Rothbort’s works recently acquired for its permanent collection, including pieces which have never before been exhibited publicly. The show will run through Saturday, April 17. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. (936) 468-1131. Consumed: Fast Food in the USnow on display at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St. From the eating contests to the mascots designed to appeal to young children, Susana Raab’s 20 photographs capture the influence of the fast food franchise super powers and the saturation of their marketing strategies on everyday American life. The show will run through Saturday, May 15. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Thursday, April 15, through Saturday, April 17Schools of Music and Theatre present “Susannah,” an American opera by Carlisle Floyd at 7:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium. Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for seniors, $9 for SFA faculty and staff, and $6 for students.

Friday, April 16Ross Smith, guest pianist, will give a recital at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Concert Hall, Wright Music Building. Admission is free.

SFA Today is published by the Office of Public Affairs Monday through Friday (except for holidays). Items must be received by noon prior to the day of desired inclusion. To submit items to SFA Today, use the online form or e-mail sfatoday@sfasu.edu. The announcement should apply to a significant number of faculty and/or staff members.